After death of founder, Maison Ullens closes doors as losses mount - reports

The curtain has reportedly fallen for Belgian luxury fashion brand Maison Ullens after its founder Myriam Ullens de Schooten Whettnall was shot dead in front of her house earlier this year.

Losses at the company have mounted and it has failed to find a party who wants to take over the business, according to various media reports.

According to the Belgian Public Prosecutor's Office, the label’s founder was shot several times at close range on March 29 by her stepson Nicolas U. When emergency services arrived, she was already dead.

Following her death, questions arose: How will the fashion company be continued? And, what does the future look like for the fashion house?

Soon, various media outlets wrote that the company had sky-high debts, including Belgian newspaper De Standaard, for example. A few months later, Guy Ullens de Schooten, the husband of the Belgian baroness, filed for bankruptcy for Maison Ullens. Someone familiar with the matter told Belgian news company Sudinfo that no one wanted to continue the business.

Millions of euros of debt deal final blow for Maison Ullens

The company’s latest financial report shows that it made a loss of more than 10 million euros. That was too much for Guy Ullens de Schooten to continue the company - he had already pumped more than 85 million euros into the business in recent years, writes the Gazet van Antwerpen.

On June 15, the company decided to file for bankruptcy. The Belgian luxury fashion brand had three stores in New York City, Paris, and Aspen. An Antwerp flagship store was also planned.

At the beginning of this year, Christian Wijnants was appointed as the brand’s new creative director. The Belgian designer is known for his handmade knitwear, feminine silhouettes, and nature-inspired prints.

Wijnants did not have to think long about accepting the role. “The decision was made quickly,” Wijnants said in an earlier interview with FashionUnited.

FashionUnited has contacted the Maison Ullens PR Office for more information. This article may be updated with more information.

This article was originally written for FashionUnited.NL before being translated and edited to English.